Why Bulls Smile After Midterm Elections

Volatility is heating up in October, with some big drops for stocks late last week. Now let’s put things in perspective. The S&P 500 Index just had its least volatile third quarter since 1963, and it hasn’t closed up or down more than 1% for more than three months in a row—one of the longest streaks ever. Not to mention the S&P 500 has been up six months in a row, and some type of volatility or correction is perfectly typical. It might feel bad when it happens, but pullbacks are a normal part of bull markets.

“Some pre-midterm volatility could be in the cards, but the good news is that looking at the past 18 midterms (back to 1946), the S&P 500 was higher a year later every single time,” said Senior Market Strategist Ryan Detrick. This helps put in perspective just how much of a tailwind the calendar could be for investors here.

As our LPL Chart of the Day shows, the S&P 500 has been up 14.5% on average a year after all midterm elections going back to 1946. In addition, all 18 midterms saw higher returns 12 months later.

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